This is the water-based ganache that we use as the foundation for our hot chocolates and mochas
. After extensive tests by our training department, we found that using water (rather than milk or cream) to melt the chocolate yielded the most rich and delicious drinks. We're lucky to have neighbors on both coasts who make chocolate for us; in San Francisco, we use a drinking chocolate made by TCHO, and in New York, we use a single origin dark chocolate made by the Mast Brothers. The type of chocolate you use will affect the strength of the ganache, so you may need to adjust the amount to taste.

Ingredients

3 ounces (85 g) coarsely chopped dark chocolate

1/4 cup (2 fl oz / 60 ml) boiling water

Preparation

Put the chocolate in a small bowl or 2-cup glass measuring cup. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate and stir until smooth and the chocolate is melted. If you have an immersion blender, use it to fully emulsify the mixture.

The ganache can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat gently in a microwave before using.

James Freeman is the founder and owner of Blue Bottle Coffee Company. After starting out in a tiny converted potting shed in Oakland a few years ago, Blue Bottle is now the country's leading artisan roaster, with six cafés in the San Francisco Bay Area, roasteries on both coasts, and a presence on the High Line and in Rockefeller Ceneter and Chelsea in Manhattan. In addition to its cafés, Blue Bottle is served in fine restaurants nationwide, including Chez Panisse, Gramery Tavern, Coi, and others, and regularly garners national media attention. See www.bluebottlecoffee.com for more.

Caitlin Freeman is the resident pastry chef for Blue Bottle Coffee Company and was a longtime owner of the San Francisco cake and sweets shop, Miette. James and Caitlin Freeman live in San Francisco, CA.

A staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle's food section for ten years, Tara Duggan earned a James Beard Award for best newspaper column and was nominated for an additional James Beard Award for feature writing. She lives with her family in San Francisco, and this is her third book.

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Recent Review

After a day spent cross country skiing I found this simple approach to a rich, satisfying cup of hot chocolate. I used 1.5 ozs of dark chocolate chips and a tad more than 1/8 cup boiling water-added the melted chocolate to a cup of hot milk and I was in heaven!